Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra facts for kids
The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra is an important Mahayana Buddhist sūtra. A sūtra is like a sacred text or teaching. This sūtra shares a conversation, mostly between Gautama Buddha and a wise student named Mahāmati, which means "Great Wisdom." The story takes place in Laṅkā, which is the island home of Rāvaṇa, a powerful king from ancient stories.
This sūtra was very important in the growth of Chinese, Tibetan, and Japanese Buddhism. It is especially key for Chan Buddhism and Japanese Zen, which are types of Buddhism that focus on meditation.
Contents
What the Sūtra Teaches
The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra talks about ideas from Yogācāra (a school of Buddhist thought) and Buddha-nature. The main teaching is that our consciousness is the most important thing. It says that everything we see and experience in the world is actually created by our own mind.
The Buddha explains that the world, with all its different things and names, is just how our mind shows itself. He teaches that when we understand this, we can stop suffering. This suffering comes from thinking that the world outside us is completely separate and real on its own.
Mind-Only Reality
Because the sūtra teaches that the world is "mind-only," it means that all things are empty of a fixed, separate self. They are like a dream or a vision. They don't have their own unchanging nature.
To understand this, a student needs to realize a few things:
- First, you must truly believe that everything in this world is just a complex way your mind works. It doesn't have a "self" or things that belong to it. There's no real coming or going.
- Second, you must see all things as being like forms in a dream. They are empty inside and don't have their own nature. They exist only because of many causes and effects working together.
- Third, you must accept that even our own mind and personality are built by the mind. They are also empty of a fixed self and don't have a permanent "ego."
Buddha-Nature and Consciousness
The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra also describes different levels of consciousness. The deepest level is called tathāgatagarbha, or "buddha-womb," which is also known as Ālayavijñāna or "storehouse consciousness." This is like the deepest part of our awareness and connects us to everything.
The sūtra says that this "buddha-womb" is naturally pure. It is present in all living beings, like a valuable jewel wrapped in dirty clothes. Even though it's covered by our thoughts and feelings like greed and anger, it's always there and never changes.
However, the Buddha makes it clear that this Buddha-nature is not a fixed "self" (atman). It is empty of self-nature. He says it's just a helpful way to teach people about the path to enlightenment. It helps people who might be afraid of the idea that there is no fixed "self."
So, the teaching of Buddha-nature helps people let go of the idea of a permanent "ego." It teaches that we should rely on the idea of "no-self" even when thinking about Buddha-nature.
History and Different Versions
Experts believe that the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra was put together between 350 and 400 CE. However, some parts, like the beginning and end chapters, might have been added later. Some scholars even think that earlier versions of this sūtra influenced important Buddhist thinkers like Nagarjuna and Aryadeva.
Chinese Translations
The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese four times between about 420 CE and 704 CE. Today, only three of these translations still exist.
- The first existing Chinese translation was done by Guṇabhadra in 443 CE. This version is said to have been passed down by Bodhidharma, who is considered the founder of Chan Buddhism. He gave it to his student, saying it held the main teachings about the mind.
- The second existing Chinese translation was made by Bodhiruci in 513 CE. Some people criticized this version, saying it added extra words that changed the original meaning.
- The third existing Chinese translation was done by Śikṣānanda between 700 and 704 CE. This translation was requested by Empress Wu Zetian. It is believed that five different Sanskrit versions were used to make this translation as accurate as possible.
Other Translations and Editions
Besides the Chinese translations, there are also two Tibetan translations. One comes directly from the Sanskrit original. The other might be a translation of Guṇabhadra's Chinese version into Tibetan.
A scholar named Nanjo Bunyu created an important edition of the Sanskrit text in 1923. He used several old manuscripts from Nepal and other sources to make it accurate.
Earlier translations of the sūtra are much shorter than later ones. This suggests that parts were added to the text over time. For example, the first and last chapters are missing from the earliest translation. Also, the chapter about not eating meat might have been added later because its style and content are different from the rest of the sūtra.
Some scholars think the sūtra might have started as a collection of important Mahayana teachings. These individual passages were then later put together into a story.
English Translations
- Lankavatara Sutra, translated by D. T. Suzuki. This version was first published in 1932.
- Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra: Translation and Commentary by Red Pine. This translation was published in 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Sutra del descenso de Buda a Sri Lanka para niños
